When I focus on the things that are happening right now in my life, it’s like looking through a giant magnifying glass. Everything appears bigger than it actually is.
Here is what I mean.
When there are struggles with our family budget, how quickly my mind can drift toward the worse case scenarios. When my kids aren’t getting along, I start wondering if they will make it in prison. When something breaks around the house, I start asking Kerrie if we need to move.
It is so easy to view our life as if we are looking through a magnification lens all the time. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and anxious about life. In fact, one of the great tensions in life is the tendency to overvalue the present and undervalue the future. And if you think about it, God has actually told us to live our lives in the opposite way.
Scripture often refers to the present as that which is temporary, and the future as that which is eternal. The great pradox in the way we often live is that we elevate our present and minimize our future. We are so easily caught up in what is happening in our lives that we forget we have a future to prepare for. For those who are followers of Jesus, we know that the life we live now is temporary and that our home is in heaven with the Father. We are simply here to bring glory to God and point others to Jesus. We are called to focus on the eternal and live our lives with eternity in mind.
I get this wrong all the time.
Colossians 3:2 says, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
I am at my best when I keep my mind set on the will and the way of God. When I consider eternity each day and live my life with purpose and urgency, I find greater joy and greater awareness to share the Good News with others. But when I stay consumed with my circumstances and allow my mind to be overwhelmed, I easily miss God’s purpose, and my relationships with others suffer greatly.
So today, I am choosing to set my mind on what is eternal. I am choosing to focus my attention and affection of Jesus, and I am choosing to live with purpose and passion toward the eternal things God has set before me.
Try it with me.
Let’s encourage one another to take a higher view and to live with our minds set on the eternal promises of God.
Maclane Forbus 